After a couple of newbie posts about North American carvers, I've been continuing my education in the world of new pipes by extensive Internet reading and looking at pipes from many makers/carvers. And, I have been spending every Saturday afternoon talking for hours with Premal Chedda at Smokers' Haven. I'm fortunate to have a B & M locally which has for sale many artisan carvers (many more than are listed on their web site) so I can see, handle, and discuss the pipes and their differences. Plus, I've been poring over past issues of Pipes & Tobaccos, which has been helpful along with the NASPC newsletters.

The point of this effort has been to start to form a focus to my collecting. Because there are so many wonderful pipes out there to buy I wanted a focus to my purchases so they add up to something that makes sense to me. Consequently, my small collectiion has been growing incrementally (I'm not sure my wife would agree with that statement, though). The focus so far:

Special pre-1980 GBDs like the Horry Jamieson bent acorn. Reason: I started with GBDs in college and my 30+ year old ones are still great smokers. It's partly sentimentality, too.

Premal Chedda. Reason: I think he's working very hard to create line of pipes that can compete with the best. His materials are very good and the pipes are not rushed. Premal hasn't found his signature style yet; he's produced a variety of shapes but has been trending lately toward more classic smaller shapes. Right now he's in a blast period. It's a true pleasure to go down to the shop weekly and see what has been worked on or produced in the last week. His pricing is very competitive and the pipes smoke very well. He's local and I can see the production in the shop; I will continue to collect his pipes.

Claudio Cavicchi. Reason: I know I originally wrote that I was going to stick to North American carvers but the article in P & T on Cavicchi really got my attention. The bottom line is that I like the shapes, the way the pipes look, the way the pipes smoke, and the price. What's not to like? My focus in collecting is in the extremes--that's the 1Cs for value and the 5Cs for beauty. Of course, the right shape in the middle range is not ruled out.

Rad Davis. Reason: Somewhat similar to Chedda, he's apparently still on his way up. I like his more tradtional shapes and blasts. He's priced pretty well.

Michael Parks. Reason: Quality of construction and cool smoking briar. I'm not fond of his wilder, more freehand shapes but I like his traditional shapes. The problem is he's not easy to collect. SH has a small selection (and more after the Columbus show, I hope) and I plan to buy something directly from him on Saturday.

Jody Davis. Reason: Well, I don't actually have a J. Davis yet but I will when I pick up one that Premal is holding for me on Saturday. His quality appears to be excellent and I like everything he makes. Everything. The photos of his pipes in the 2006 P & T article knocks me out. I've been getting his email alerts and have been too slow (or busy, actually) to pull the trigger fast enough--but everything I see of his I really like. I found an old thread somewhere that had zulucollector's collection of J. Davis pipes; now that's something to aspire to.

These are just some random thoughts of mine as I try to bring order to my collecting. How about the approaches of other members of BoB to your collections?

Great post! I enjoyed reading it.

I currently have 42 pipes in my collection. I have always just bought what appeals to me, therefore my collection has no rhyme, reason, or direction. The only exception is that I have gravitated towards the poker as my favorite pipe shape, so I have more pokers than any other shape. I think its a neat idea to have your pipe collection geared towards a certain goal, but I don't have enough discipline I suppose.

LtMac

I really really like a great ringblast. But most of my collecting is actually pipes I will smoke. Impulse buys. Many different makers. I suppose I have little focus.

No real focus. I am at a point right now that I feel I have all of the pipes that I really need. I have not had a PAD attack in quite sometime. I asked myself, how many pipes do I really need to have?

I had been on that ecclectic bandwagon for quite a while, and only recently have i started to focus more. As a consequence, i think I'm going to be thinning my heard a bit here soon. perhaps at the New York show. (I'm totally bummed I can't get to the NASPC show. Being from columbus, i haven't missed a show in 6 or 7 years. I usually even work the fron table. Man! I am bummed!)

My focus going forward will be Anne Julie pipes and Ballerina shaped pipes. I have 7 Anne Julies and 3 Ballerinas, going on 5. I have a number of Sixten Ivarssons, which I am still thinking of collecting, but I'm not sure. Also a few Talberts and Roushs which I am probably going to keep too.

The Anne Julies are just gorgeous in my opinion. I absolutely adore her flower shaped pipes. The are a wonderful mix of the masculine and feminine. Strong and solid, but with a delicate quality that i really haven't found in any other carver. I may add a Bernhard or two into the mix, but his pipes are hard to fine, and i wonder how many he is putting his name on.

The Ballerinas have similar qualities to the Anne Julies I suppose. The shape, when done well, is flowing and graceful. Fluid and full of motion. Bringing together both the feminine and masculine strengths. To me, they are like a waterfall, frozen in motion. Leaping through the air and landing on pointe. One of my fondest dreams is to own a Nordh Ballerina.

The Sixtens for me are more about the history. The idea of holding a pipe that came from the hands of the father of modern pipes is just amazing. That pipes before Sixten were ... different I guess. Not better or worse really. But the design characteristics were more rigid. And through his work, the contraints that most artisans of the time worked within were broken and cast off. Its like standing on the spot where the Mayflower landed, for me.

Need is the sirens song that a pipe sings to you and you know that you have found the perfect pipe to add to your collection.

i consider myself a smoker not a collector and i buy pipes from the makers i know.. you have to be a good guy for me to want and buy your pipe..

something about smoking a pipe from a friend thats just better.